004
9:05:42 PM Canto: Well! You discovered a thingy in a theater. You called up Caspar, who asked you to stay in the area until he can get down there to secure the area. 9:06:41 PM Hank: Hank lights a cigarette and leans against the building. 9:07:24 PM Josie: Everyone smokes. 9:07:42 PM Hank: 'cept you, you mean? 9:08:28 PM Josie: Yes. 9:09:47 PM Hank: Why not? 9:10:08 PM Josie: I tried once. It made me sick. 9:10:39 PM Hank: Heh. Happened first time I had one too. 9:11:44 PM Canto: It's just after seven at this point. YOu guys are loitering around a streetlight and a a payphone. 9:13:00 PM Josie: ... I wonder how long it'll take. 9:13:12 PM Hank: For Mr. Quentin to get here? Not sure. 9:14:18 PM Hank: You feelin' all right now? 9:15:43 PM Josie: Oh yes, quite a bit. 9:16:22 PM Canto: You can hear applause from inside the theater again. 9:16:59 PM Hank: ...think we're gonna need more instruction before the next job. 9:17:51 PM Josie: If he wants us to do more than what we did, yes. 9:18:03 PM Ella Burke: Oho yes. 9:18:40 PM Canto: After about twenty minutes, Caspar shows up! 9:19:02 PM Hank: Hank puts out his cigarette and stands up to meet him. 9:19:14 PM Josie: Mr. Quentin. 9:19:48 PM Ella Burke: Hi. We found a thing. 9:20:05 PM Canto: He's got a briefcase. "So I heard. Care to show me?" 9:20:06 PM Josie: It seems to be a canister of... ectoplasm, maybe? Something ghostly. 9:20:32 PM Hank: Hank leads the way back to the canister! 9:21:02 PM Josie: Josie follows. 9:21:45 PM Canto: He's got an electric flashlight! 9:22:32 PM Canto: He looks at the thing. "Huh. So what can you tell me about this thing?" 9:22:45 PM Ella Burke: Whatever that was, it was able to influence my shadows, but not sustain them on its own. 9:22:52 PM Hank: 's not movin'. Not a machine. 9:23:58 PM Josie: It said "Let me out" over and over again with a lot of different voices. 9:24:58 PM Canto: He nods, and he scowls. "Ghost engine. I've seen this sort of device before. Necromancer work. It captures a bunch of souls and uses them as a power source to some end or another." 9:25:16 PM Hank: Engine? How's an engine work without any moving parts? 9:25:37 PM Josie: Then we should let them go. 9:26:51 PM Canto: Caspar: No moving physical parts. The trapped souls are doing all the moving. 9:27:40 PM Canto: He looks at Josie. "No argument there. But it has to be done properly, or the spirits might get stuck as ghosts." 9:29:34 PM Josie: How? 9:30:07 PM Canto: Caspar: We need to get an exorcist out here. 9:31:17 PM Canto: Caspar: Once the souls are freed, the device will be deactivated. 9:33:16 PM Canto: Caspar: Right now, they're desperate for any escape. That's why they were pulling on your shadows. 9:33:44 PM Hank: So what else do we need to do, sir? 9:34:02 PM Josie: I can... try to tell them, but I don't want to be sucked into it or something. 9:34:51 PM Canto: Caspar: No, don't contact them at all, Dr. Black. 9:36:42 PM Josie: Josie nods. 9:37:17 PM Ella Burke: Who knows how long they've been here. They could be crazy. 9:37:26 PM Hank: Is there any way to figure out what they're doin'? 9:37:26 PM Ella Burke: Or malicious. 9:37:36 PM Ella Burke: Or both 9:37:53 PM Canto: Caspar: No, I have to admit, I've never seen a ghost engine this small before. 9:38:12 PM Josie: ... how big are they normally? 9:38:42 PM Canto: Caspar: The size of a small car, or bigger. Depends on their purpose. 9:39:21 PM Hank: If you don't mind, once it's cleared out, I'd like to be able to take a look at it. Learn how it works. 9:40:50 PM Josie: ... are you a necromancer, Mr. Stevenson? 9:41:03 PM Hank: No ma'am. Mechanic. 9:41:48 PM Hank: Worked on a lot of engines and other machines. 9:42:45 PM Hank: Guess you could say it's what history is to you. 9:43:21 PM Josie: Your passion? ... I suppose you *do* need to know how it works to be able to take something like that apart safely. 9:43:41 PM Canto: Caspar: We'll see what we can do. Council policy on Necromancy is pretty cut and dry: manipulation of souls is strictly illegal. 9:43:57 PM Hank: Oh, no sir. Wouldn't want anything to do with souls. 9:44:04 PM Hank: Just the machine. 9:44:37 PM Canto: Caspar opens up the briefcase he brought and pulls out a metal disk about six inches in diameter with some strange runes drawn over it. 9:47:15 PM Canto: He sets it on the floor near the base of the cylinder. 9:47:35 PM Hank: What's that do? 9:47:44 PM Josie: ... it's gibberish. 9:47:58 PM Josie: Those are norse--the ones that look like toothpicks--that eye is Egyptian. 9:48:20 PM Josie: I think that little phrase is from the Book of the Dead. 9:48:22 PM | Edited 9:48:31 PM Canto: Caspar: It's a charm. Should calm down the souls being held captive. 9:48:33 PM Josie: And that piece there is from the Kabbalah. 9:49:28 PM Hank: 's that like wearing the symbol of every religion hopin' one's listening to you? 9:51:52 PM Canto: Caspar nods, and mumbles a few words low. The symbols on the disk begin to glow with a bluish white light. "Kind of. Several variations of the same spell, basically. Acts like an echo chamber, so the effect of each spell is amplified by the other spells. And since they're all basically the same spell, it's just the one effect." 9:53:31 PM Canto: Caspar: Now, stand back, please. 9:53:42 PM Josie: Josie moves back, carefully! 9:54:12 PM Hank: Hank backs up. 9:54:25 PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke steps back a bit, making sure nothing isbehind her, first. 9:55:31 PM Canto: He takes out a canteen from the briefcase and unscrews it. He pours its contents around the base of the device -- looks like water. He touches it, and it freezes up and expands, creating a wall of ice around the ghost engine. 9:55:52 PM Josie: ... interesting... 9:59:27 PM Canto: Caspar: It's a special alchemical concoction. It won't melt until I make it melt. 9:59:47 PM Josie: As ice does it remain pliable to you? 10:00:19 PM Hank: Was startin' to wonder if it was just 'battleship stuff.' 10:00:26 PM Canto: Caspar: As long as it's ice I made, yes. 10:01:14 PM Josie: ... that's rather frightening. Or it would be if we didn't share an employer. 10:01:19 PM Canto: Caspar: There's some holy water and water from a sacred spring in there as well, for good measure. Should keep the hauntings down. 10:01:57 PM Canto: Caspar: I don't have a talent for spells, really. But I'm not bad at alchemy. Goes well with my gift. 10:02:13 PM Canto: He gives a grin. "You should see the bullets I can make." 10:04:32 PM Josie: ... worrying. 10:04:59 PM Canto: Caspar: Anyway. Should be safe here until the exorcist shows up. 10:05:18 PM Hank: Hank nods. "All right then." 10:05:30 PM Josie: Josie nods. 10:05:42 PM Josie: So. Now what? 10:07:23 PM Canto: Caspar: You guys head home. You finished your first investigation. You did well. 10:07:42 PM Hank: Did we? That's all we do? 10:08:22 PM Canto: Caspar: What were you expecting? You went into a place, determined it was haunted, and found out why. 10:08:45 PM Hank: ....not sure, I guess. Just used to work being a bit more.... work. 10:08:58 PM Josie: I think he's going easy on us. 10:09:08 PM Josie: We *are* eventually going to learn to deal with things on our own, aren't we? 10:09:50 PM | Edited 10:09:55 PM Canto: Caspar: Of course. 10:12:02 PM Canto: Caspar: If you want more shootouts on gothic cathedrals, I can probably arrange for something. But that's not necessarily the job. The job here will be flexible, and you're going to be have to be flexible too. Sometimes a job will just be exploring a basement. Sometimes it's going to be talking to people. Witnesses, experts, et cetera. 10:12:44 PM Hank: Hank frowns but nods. 10:14:03 PM Canto: Caspar: Sometimes something more physical might be required. Heavy lifting. Shootouts. 10:14:36 PM Hank: Now you're just tryin' to make me feel better. 10:14:54 PM Josie: .... I don't really want a shootout, thanks. I'd need to change my shoes. 10:15:11 PM Canto: Caspar: You're not drafted, Stevenson. It's a job. You can resign whenever you want. 10:15:44 PM Canto: Caspar: Howard would probably give you a decent job on his airfield if that's what you want. 10:16:00 PM Hank: Just want to be useful, sir. 10:16:46 PM Josie: ... maybe he could have a shop on the airfield as part of his salary. 10:18:03 PM Canto: Caspar: I'm not a 'sir'. You're not in the military, Hank. Sooner you get that through your head, the better. 10:18:57 PM Hank: Hank sort of frowns but nods. 10:20:13 PM Canto: Caspar: Anyway. Head on home. Early day tomorrow. 10:21:08 PM Josie: It is? 10:21:18 PM Ella Burke: Hoo boy. 10:21:34 PM Canto: Caspar: Yeah. Starting your training proper. 10:21:51 PM Josie: What time? 10:22:33 PM Canto: Caspar: Be at the airfield by six. 10:23:02 PM | Edited 10:23:05 PM Hank: ...that *is* early. 10:23:02 PM Josie: That's practically the middle of the *night.* 10:23:08 PM Josie: Josie keeps students' hours! 10:24:13 PM Canto: Caspar: Sensei Ping is flying in, and he wants to see you all as soon as possible. 10:25:33 PM Hank: Guess we'll get back then. 10:26:07 PM Josie: Josie nods. 10:26:20 PM Ella Burke: Guess so. 10:26:34 PM Canto: So, you guys head back? 10:26:54 PM Josie: Josie does! 10:26:57 PM Hank: Sure...but Hank's gonna hit the bar for a bit before bed. lol 10:27:06 PM Canto: Easy enough. 10:28:28 PM Ella Burke: ((Yep, unless miscellaneous shenanigans happen.)) 10:29:30 PM Canto: Okay! So, next morning rolls around. 10:29:47 PM Canto: you guys all get to have more dreams, too. But it's more of the same. 10:32:27 PM Hank: Hank is ready to go! 10:33:33 PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke is up at a perfectly reasonable hour, namely five-ish. 10:34:07 PM Josie: Josie will be ready on time, too. Perfectly coiffed. 10:34:27 PM Hank: Hank on the other hand looks a teensy bit ragged and red-eyed. 10:36:56 PM Canto: So you guys meet Cas on the airfield as a small plane lands and a tiny asian man in an orange and yellow robe steps out. 10:38:28 PM Hank: Hank kind of crosses his arms and waits. 10:38:35 PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke wears something comfy and easy to move in, and has tied her hair back. 10:39:41 PM Josie: Josie smiles tentatively. 10:40:49 PM Canto: The man comes over and looks each of you over in turn. His expression is unreadable. He's.... it's hard to tell how old he is. Somewhere between 40-70, you'd guess. 10:41:34 PM Canto: He inspects Josie first, then Ella, then Hank. 10:41:47 PM Canto: Then he frowns and turns around, heading back to the plane. 10:41:58 PM Josie: ... excuse me? 10:43:16 PM Josie: Aren't you here to teach us? 10:44:42 PM Canto: He goes inside the plane! A moment later, another figure comes out. It's man-shaped. Seven-feet tall and four feet wide. He's wearing the same kind of robes as the asian man, but much bigger. Also, he's a yeti. 10:44:54 PM Canto: He rubs his eyes like he just got woken up and strides over to you guys. 10:46:08 PM Josie: ... sir? 10:47:00 PM Canto: He winces, and you notice his yellow eyes seem a bit bloodshot. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Not so loud. Shh. Shh." 10:47:40 PM Josie: ... are you *hung over*? 10:48:13 PM Canto: Caspar facepalms. "Dammit, Ping." 10:48:30 PM Hank: Hank shifts his weight a little. 10:48:47 PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke says quietly, but still quite audibly, "Eesh, you're as tall as Olaf, as wide as Gertrude, and as hairy as Farley. Same color as Farley, too." 10:49:14 PM Canto: Ping: Look. We just won a major battle against the whatsits. Shamblers. There was a celebration. It would have been rude not to partake. 10:49:35 PM Canto: Caspar: ... the celebration would have been in goddamn Nepal, Ping. You were on a plane by then. 10:49:42 PM Canto: Ping: I was with them in spirit! 10:50:58 PM Canto: Ping clears his throat. "Okay. Okay. Okay. I'm gonna lay down for like, six seconds. Then we'll get started. With the stuff." 10:51:04 PM Canto: He stretches out on the tarmac. 10:51:19 PM Canto: He starts snoring within four. 10:51:38 PM Josie: ... 10:51:47 PM Josie: Josie shouts: WE HAD TO GET UP AT FIVE IN THE MORNING. 10:51:50 PM Canto: Caspar: So. Yeah. That's a yeti. 10:51:56 PM Hank: Hank winces. 10:51:57 PM Josie: GET UP OR I'LL KICK YOUR BLOODY FACE IN. 10:52:05 PM Canto: He does not! 10:52:14 PM Hank: ...do you *have* to do that? 10:52:17 PM Josie: Josie true to her word, kicks him in the arm. 10:53:19 PM Josie: You *too*, Hank? Really? 10:53:20 PM Canto: She does not! Mid-kick, just moments after she forms the thought to kick him he turns into a blur of blue-white fur and red robes and is behind her. 10:53:39 PM Josie: There! That's much better! 10:53:47 PM Canto: Ping grins. "Hrm. Not bad." 10:53:57 PM Canto: Ping: Got some fire. 10:54:22 PM *** Group call *** 10:54:26 PM Josie: I don't usually lose my temper like that, but I was having a rather nice evening and had to cut it short to be here early. ... sorry. 10:54:39 PM Josie: ((That was me. Sorry. Apparently there's a quickbutton or something for calling and I keep hitting it.)) 10:56:45 PM Canto: Ping: S'alright. So. Lessee what we got. Telepath with a temper. Ex... military somethin, with a fish leg. And a quiet redhead. Worked with worse. 10:57:03 PM Hank: Hank frowns. 10:57:42 PM Josie: I'm Dr. Josie Black. 10:59:46 PM Canto: Ping: You'll always be Kicky to me. 10:59:52 PM Hank: Hank smirks. 11:00:03 PM Josie: ... thank you, I think? 11:00:43 PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke grins toothily at the guy. "Hi! I'm Ella." 11:01:08 PM Canto: Ping: So. I'm here to teach you some self defense basics. Not just how to escape from holds and punch a guy, but how to use your gifts to your advantage. 11:01:21 PM Canto: Ping: Kicky's a telepath. Ella, what can you do? 11:01:24 PM Josie: Josie listens. 11:02:24 PM Ella Burke: I can shape shadows. Nothing solid yet, I think. 11:03:48 PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke let's her shadow swirl behind her as she says this. 11:03:52 PM Canto: Ping: Hmm. Alright, we can work with that. Fish-leg, how bout you? 11:04:18 PM Hank: I bend metal. 11:04:55 PM Canto: Caspar: Hank's gifts only just recently manifested, Ping. 11:05:42 PM Canto: Ping: Hmm. Yeah, metal bending can be several things. Magnetism, matter manipulation... 11:06:46 PM Josie: He... compressed some metal. Made it smaller. 11:08:28 PM Canto: Ping: Well. You got a space to practice in, Caspar? 11:08:38 PM Canto: Caspar: Yeah, Howard set up a hangar. 11:12:03 PM Canto: Ping nods. "Lead the way." 11:12:05 PM Josie: Let's get going. 11:12:09 PM Canto: He rubs his eyes. 11:16:07 PM Hank: Which way? 11:17:02 PM Canto: You go to the hangar! It's been cleared out. 11:18:43 PM Canto: And now is time for a training montage. 11:18:50 PM Hank: :D 11:20:22 PM Canto: He teaches you some basic self defense moves. Teaches you how to throw a punch if you don't know how to. Teaches you to use your physical strengths to your advantage. 11:21:27 PM Josie: Josie doesn't have a lot of physical strength. 11:21:34 PM Hank: Hank does! 11:23:07 PM Canto: Yep. He teaches Hank some holds, and teaches Josie some throws, the types where you use an oppoent's momentum and strength against them. 11:23:28 PM Canto: Not sure if Ella is physically strong or not! 11:24:35 PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke is average. 11:24:53 PM Canto: So he teaches you some of the same. 11:30:02 PM Canto: He teaches you all meditative exercises as well, so that it's easier access your gifts in stressful situations. 11:31:32 PM Josie: Josie does her best to learn! 11:34:12 PM Hank: Is it common to get headaches from using them? 11:34:34 PM Canto: Ping: From meditation? No. 11:34:40 PM Hank: No, the powers. 11:35:40 PM Canto: Ping: It's common when they first manifest. Your brain is learning new ways to work. 11:36:24 PM Josie: I used to have a lot of headaches when I was a girl. 11:37:52 PM Hank: Guess I can see that. 11:38:36 PM Canto: Ping: They'll fade as you get used to them. 11:41:05 PM Hank: There anything else? 11:41:49 PM Canto: Ping: Just keep at it. Practice, practice, practice. 11:43:12 PM Josie: On each other? 11:43:19 PM Josie: ... I don't think I want to do that. 11:44:23 PM Canto: Ping: Well, I was referring to Hank, mostly, as his abilities are new to him. 11:44:43 PM Josie: Oh, I see. 11:44:57 PM Hank: Hank nods. "Guess I got a few more things to go buy then." 11:45:16 PM Josie: ... raw metal? 11:45:37 PM Hank: ...and some other goodies. 11:45:43 PM Josie: Goodies? 11:46:38 PM Hank: Hank shrugs. "Just thinkin' I might like a little gym in one of my rooms. Not usin' 'em for anything else anyway." 11:48:01 PM Josie: Josie nods. 11:49:57 PM Canto: So, the training took a few days, all told. During that time, Caspar had an exorcist come in and they worked on the site to get the souls freed. They were successful, and were able to take the now deactivated engine into custody. 11:50:15 PM Josie: Josie watches them if that was possible and tries to learn how they did it. 11:53:49 PM Canto: Caspar allows it! The exorcist in question is an elderly Italian fellow that doesn't speak a lick of english. It's not very impressive, all told, he lights a censer, pours some holy water, and says some prayers, and the engine just stops working. 11:54:31 PM Josie: Josie on the offchance that he's a priest, tries Latin. 11:55:07 PM Canto: He knows Latin, but hes not terribly interested in chatting. 11:55:39 PM Josie: Josie tries for a bit but eventually just lets him get on with it. 11:56:58 PM Canto: You get the feeling that he didn't even want you there, but Caspar insisted. 11:57:53 PM Josie: Josie stays quiet like a good little girl, while thinking Rebellious Thoughts. 11:59:50 PM Canto: When the cylinder is moved, though, there's a thing. Hanging in mid air. The best way to describe it is a crack. Like a crack you'd see in a stone wall. But it's hanging in mid air. AM Canto: It radiates power, too. AM Josie: What *is* that? AM Canto: Caspar: I have *no* idea. AM Hank: ...not usually part of the 'ghost engine' then? AM Canto: Caspar: No. AM Canto: It's a really weird visual phenomenon. Kind of hard to take your eyes off it. AM Canto: I mean, you can, but it's tough. AM Hank: This shit just gets weirder and weirder. ....pardon my language. AM Josie: ... Mr. Stevenson, until I turned 10, 90 percent of the people around me thought I was a boy. I've heard a lot worse. AM Hank: ....why would they think that? AM Hank: ...and who swears around a kid? AM Josie: I was skinny and annoying. And lots of people do when they think it's a boy. Boys, mainly. AM Canto: Caspar returns, after having used the phone to make a few calls. "All right. Here's the plan: We're shipping the ghost engine to Boston to be dissected by an expert in arcanotech. You three are going with it." AM Canto: Caspar: While you're there, you're receive some basic education in spellcasting. AM Hank: How long? AM Josie: To *Boston*? AM Josie: From whom? AM Canto: Caspar: The Council has a large enclave in Boston, the largest in the States. There will be several instructors there. And I'm not sure how long. Probably a couple of weeks. AM Josie: ... all right. AM Hank: You ever been, Miss Black? AM Josie: Once, a few years ago. AM Canto: Caspar: You'll leave tomorrow evening. That will put you in at Boston the following morning. AM Hank: Hank nods. AM Canto: Caspar: I'm nost sure how long you'll be. I can't see it being more than a few days. AM Josie: Josie nods. AM Hank: Hank shrugs. "Just curious." AM Canto: Caspar: It'll be good for you to meet with some other agents of the Council. You'll be able to spend some time in the largest archive we have in the states, as well. AM Hank: Books don't mean much to me. Will we be able to see them take the thing apart? AM Canto: Caspar: Oh, definitely. AM Josie: Books mean a lot to me. AM Hank: You can have 'em all then. AM Josie: Even the technical manuals, Mr. Stevenson? AM Hank: I learn better with my hands. Takin' something apart and putting it back together, tracing flowpaths. Much easier understood in person than in paper. AM Hank: ...unless it's electrical. That's just PFM. AM Josie: PFM? AM Hank: Pure Fu-- uh.. Magic. AM Josie: Josie snrks. AM Hank: I know enough to get me by. Just prefer the mechanical side of things. AM Josie: Josie nods. AM Hank: Anyway, guess we should get back and get a bag together. AM Josie: ... bag? AM Hank: You plan on going to Boston without any of your pretty new clothes? AM Canto: Caspar: Arrangements for hotel rooms are gonna be arranged. Bring a nice set of clothes. The Council loves official functions. AM Hank: Hank sighs. AM Josie: Oh, pack. All right. AM Canto: We shall end things there!